The Best Travel TV Programs

If you can’t afford to get away for an exotic, luxury vacation this summer, then maybe watching one of these programs on tv and living vicariously through the host who gets paid to travel all around the world (wouldn’t that be the life?) is the next best thing. Of course, what you see, smell, taste, hear, and touch in person will always be superior to anything you can watch from your home through a screen, but you can’t go wrong with a good travel TV program to get some inspiration for your next trip! If you have some time on your hands and are wondering what to flip to next, try tuning into one of these entertaining shows!

Would you consider yourself an adventurous eater or do you prefer to stick to the foods you know when you travel to a foreign country? Even if you’re someone who likes to sample the regional specialities, you probably haven’t even come close to the kind of extreme eating tv personality Andrew Zimmerman has done in his travels. In Bizarre Foods, Zimmerman travels the world to try the best regional eats, no matter how bizarre- this guy has eaten spiders!

If you’re looking to watch some food that’s a little more appetizing being made, then tune in to watch the iconic spiky-haired, backwards sunglasses-wearing TV personality, Guy Fieri travel across America in his shiny red ‘67 Chevy Camaro convertible in search of the country’s greatest diners, drive-ins, and dives. You just may not want to watch this show while you’re hungry, because the delectable dishes Guy samples are sure to make an empty stomach grumble. Another good thing about this show is that Guy only travels to restaurants within the Unites States, and the show has been on the air for over a decade, so you’ll have hundreds to choose from if you want to venture to one!

Television host Samantha Brown has been in the travel business since 1999, with various programs on the travel channel. She has been all around the world, from Europe to Asia to South America. Some of her programs include Samantha Brown’s Great Weekends and Travel Hacks, but whatever you end up watching, you can be sure to be entertained and learn something new, as Samantha fully immerses herself in the culture of wherever she travels.

TV personality Anthony Bourdain is a chef, writer, and traveler. Bourdain pretty much lives for “carpe diem.” In his Emmy Award winning series, he travels the world in search of life’s truest experiences and surprises, learning something about the culture of wherever he travels. Although his original and perhaps more well-known series stopped making new episodes in 2012, Bourdain’s new show, Parts Unknown, which aired in 2013 and can be found on CNN, follows Bourdain as he explores political issues and indigenous food and culture around the world.

The popular HGTV series, House Hunters, went international in 2006, giving viewers to opportunity to learn about real estate markets all around the world. Even if you could never afford a vacation home in a foreign country and don’t have the means to start a new life abroad, you can live vicariously through these lucky homebuyers as they tour three homes with a realtor in search of their dream home.